Speller sign



March 31, 1931. w v 5 1,798,908

SPELLER SIGN Original Filed Jan. 24 1924 MWLZVW Inventor A tlorncy Patented Mar. 31, 1931 more STATES PATENTQFFICE ARTHUR w. srnvnns, or vetreimrso, INDIANA, .assrenon T man s. AMSTUTZ SPELLER sren Original application filed January 24, 1924, Serial N 0. 688,315. Divided and. this application filed November Serial No. 319,533.

15, was.

My invention relates to improvements in speller signs and it more especially consists of the features hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

The purpose of my invention is to produce a simplified advertising sign that will spell words, sentences, etc., letter by letter or word by word; that isentirely automatic in its operation; that is susceptible of enlargement or expansion; that is portable; that makes a minimum demand for electric current; and that on account of its extraordinary slmplicity avoids the use of a driving motor, connecting gears, levers, etc.

This is divisional application of Serial No. 688,315 filed January 24, 1924:.

With these and other ends in View, I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a revolving illuminator combined with an individual letter cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 showing a plurality of letter cabinets.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a letter cabinet having a curved face. 7

Fig. i is a front elevation of a letter cabinet having a straight sign portion.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view partly in section of the tangential letter cabinet shown in the lower half of Fig. 2.

In practically carrying out my invention I may use any desired type of incandescent lamp 1 mounted on a suitable receptacle 2 which is secured to a base 3. An outlet lserves for the cord which supplies the electricity for the lamp, and a control switch, not shown, may be connected to this cord. A wire 5 or other support is secured to the base 3 by means of the foot 6. This wire is bent at its upper end so as to terminate in a point 7 above the lamp 1. This point 7 serves to support the propeller 9 which at its center is provided with a hollow glass or other suitable bearing 8. Outside of the blades of the propeller 9 an annular rim may be formed on which the cylinder 10 is supported.

slit ll or an entire word opening 12, shown in i Fig. 2. i i

The heat developed by the lamp 1 rises upward through the open bottom of the cylinder 10 and in passing by the blades of the fan causes it to revolve. In so doing it successive- 1y brings the narrow slit 11 in line with each letter of one of the letter cabinets 16, and the wide opening 12 in thecylinder 10 is also successively brought in line with the entire small end of an individual letter cabinet, as shownin Fig. 2. r i i r The device shown on the a drawing comprises a suitable base 14 which has an are 17 formed at one end inorder to fit against the base 3. From each end of the are 17, ra-' cylinderlO, and the outer face of the cabinet,

isclosed by translucent or transparent member 21011 which the mdlviduabletters are formed, as shown in Figs. 3 andd. Such letters on the screen 21, in connection with it form variable light transmitting areas. Two forms of casing 16 are shown i11=Fig. 2. The one to the right of the lamp terminates in the arc of a circle while the one shown below the lamp terminates in a straight line. Any number of partitions 19 may be used within the angular range of an observers vision as may be desired, and in order to make the spelling visible within the entire circumference of the cylinder 10 the four casings may be duplicates of each other.

With the individual letter cabinets shown, the successive spelling of a word is also due to the movement of the narrow slit 11 formed iii in the cylinder 10. One or more of these slits may be formed and they may be combined with a single wide opening 12 which will successively illuminate letter by letter, and at one time illuminate all the letters simultaneously. It is apparent that by confining the luminosity between the partition walls 19, the transition from letter to letter will be more pronounced and in addition a greater length of space is thereby secured so that more letters can be used for a given advertisement.

It is of course obvious that I may almost unlimitedly change the expedients I have illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

hat I claim is:

1'. In automatic moving signs, a rotatable cylinder, means for automatically moving the cylinder, stationary means adjacent the cylinder wall containing variable light transe mittin areas in plural units constituting separate groups, and means carried by the cylinder to successively in recurring periods illuminate the units of one group and also simultaneously llluminate another group of such units periodically.

2. In automatic moving signs, a rotatable cylinder, means for automatically moving the cylinder, separate groups of separate stationary means positioned-adjacent diiferent portions 01 the cylinder wallcontaining separate light transmitting areas in plural units, and means carried by the cylinder to suecessively in recurring periods illuminate the units of one group one by one and alsosimultaneously illuminate a single group ofother units periodically.

3. In automatic moving signs, a rotatable cylinder, means for settingthe cylinder in motion, oneor more stationary diverging letter cabinets constituting separate groups positioned with the small'end of the cabinet adjacent the rotating cylinder, a series of radial partitions in the cabinet, a translucent cover.- ing for the large end of the cabinet, difierent letters or symbols formed on the covering in line with the spaces between the partitions, and means on the cylinder adapted to successively project luminosity between the partitions one by one and also in sequence therewith simultaneously illuminate all of the spaces betweenpartitions of a separate group.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR l V. SIEVERS. 

